The present invention relates to methods for forming mechanically textured substrates for magnetic recording media utilized in high areal density recording applications, and to magnetic recording media produced thereby. The invention has particular utility in the manufacture of magnetic data/information storage and retrieval media, e.g., hard disks, utilizing very hard-surfaced, high modulus substrates, such as of glass, ceramic, and glass-ceramic materials.
Magnetic recording media are widely used in various applications, particularly in the computer industry. A portion of a conventional recording medium 1 utilized in disk form in computer-related applications is schematically depicted in FIG. 1 and comprises a non-magnetic substrate 10, typically of metal, e.g., an aluminum-magnesium (Alxe2x80x94Mg) alloy, having sequentially deposited thereon a plating layer 11, such as of amorphous nickel-phosphorus (NiP), a polycrystalline underlayer 12, typically of chromium (Cr) or a Cr-based alloy, a magnetic layer 13, e.g., of a cobalt (Co)-based alloy, a protective overcoat layer 14, typically containing carbon (C), e.g., diamond-like carbon (xe2x80x9cDLCxe2x80x9d), and a lubricant topcoat layer 15, typically of a perfluoropolyether compound applied by dipping, spraying, etc.
In operation of medium 1, the magnetic layer 13 can be locally magnetized by a write transducer or write head, to record and store data/information. The write, transducer creates a highly concentrated magnetic field which alternates direction based on the bits of information being stored. When the local magnetic field produced by the write transducer is greater than the coercivity of the recording medium layer 13, then the grains of the polycrystalline medium at that location are magnetized. The grains retain their magnetization after the magnetic field produced by the write transducer is removed. The direction of the magnetization matches the direction of the applied magnetic field. The pattern of magnetization of the recording medium can subsequently produce an electrical response in a read transducer, allowing the stored medium to be read.
Thin film magnetic recording media are conventionally employed in disk form for use with disk drives for storing large amounts of data in magnetizable form. Typically, one or more disks are rotated on a central axis in combination with data transducer heads. In operation, a typical contact start/stop (xe2x80x9cCSSxe2x80x9d) method commences when the head begins to slide against the surface of the disk as the disk begins to rotate. Upon reaching a predetermined high rotational speed, the head floats in air at a predetermined distance from the surface of the disk due to dynamic pressure effects caused by the air flow generated between the sliding surface of the head and the disk. During reading and recording operations, the transducer head is maintained at a controlled distance from the recording surface, supported on a bearing of air as the disk rotates, such that the head can be freely moved in both the circumferential and radial directions, allowing data to be recorded on and retrieved from the disk at a desired position. Upon terminating operation of the disk drive, the rotational speed of the disk decreases and the head again begins to slide against the surface of the disk and eventually stops in contact with and pressing against the disk. Thus, the transducer head contacts the recording surface whenever the disk is stationary, accelerated from the static position, and during deceleration just prior to completely stopping. Each time the head and disk assembly is driven, the sliding surface of the head repeats the cyclic sequence consisting of stopping, sliding against the surface of the disk, floating in air, sliding against the surface of the disk, and stopping.
It is considered desirable driving reading and recording operations, and for obtainment of high areal recording densities, to maintain the transducer head as close to the associated recording surface as is possible, i.e., to minimize the xe2x80x9cflying heightxe2x80x9d of the head. Thus, a smooth recording surface is preferred, as well as a smooth opposing surface of the associated transducer head, thereby permitting the head and the disk surface to be positioned in close proximity, with an attendant increase in predictability and consistent behavior of the air bearing supporting the head during motion.
Meanwhile, the continuing trend toward manufacture of very high areal density magnetic recording media at reduced cost provides impetus for the development of lower cost materials, e.g., polymers, glasses, ceramics, and glass-ceramics composites as replacements for the conventional Al alloy-based substrates for magnetic disk media. However, poor mechanical and tribological performance, track mis-registration (xe2x80x9cTMRxe2x80x9d), and poor flyability have been particularly problematic in the case of polymer-based substrates fabricated as to essentially copy or mimic conventional hard disk design features and criteria. On the other hand, glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic materials are attractive candidates for use as substrates for very high areal density disk recording media because of the requirements for high performance of the anisotropic thin film media and high modulus of the substrate. However, the extreme difficulties encountered with grinding and lapping of glass, ceramic, and glass-ceramic composite materials have limited their use to only higher cost applications, such as mobile disk drives for xe2x80x9cnotebookxe2x80x9d-type computers.
As employed herein, the term xe2x80x9cglassxe2x80x9d is taken to include, in the broadest sense, non-crystalline silicates, aluminosilicates, borosilicates, boroaluminosilicates, as well as polycrystalline silicates, aluminosilicates, and oxide materials; the term xe2x80x9cceramicxe2x80x9d is taken to include materials consisting of crystalline particles bonded together either with a glass (i.e., vitreous) matrix or via fusion of the particles at their grain boundaries, as by sintering, as well as refractory nitrides, carbides, and borides when prepared in the form of bodies, as by sintering with or without a glass matrix or a silicon- or boron-containing matrix material, e.g., silicon nitride (Si3N4), silicon carbide (SiC), and boron carbide (B4C); and the term xe2x80x9cglass-ceramicsxe2x80x9d is taken to include those materials which are melted and fabricated as true glasses, and then converted to a partly crystalline state, such materials being mechanically stronger, tougher, and harder than the parent glass, as well as non-porous and finer-grained than conventional polycrystalline materials.
Presently, media anisotropy for obtaining high performance magnetic recording media is typically achieved by circumferentially polishing (xe2x80x9cmechanically texturingxe2x80x9d) Al alloy substrates with NiP plating layers thereon by using a diamond or other relatively hard abrasive in slurry form dispensed on an absorbent and compliant polishing pad or tape. The circumferential texture pattern, produced by holding the surface of a rotating disk substrate against the polishing pad or tape with the abrasive slurry therebetween, simultaneously fulfills two desirable purposes: (1) tribologicallyxe2x80x94by minimizing stiction and friction at the head-disk interface; and (2) enhancing magnetic anisotropyxe2x80x94by providing a preferred orientation of the subsequently deposited polycrystalline Cr underlayer 12 and Co-based magnetic layer 13 along the circumferential textture lines of the pattern, resulting in an in-plane circumferential vs. radial anisotropy which improves the read/write parameters (e.g., coercivity Hc, residual magnetic susceptibility Br, coercive squareness S*, magnetic anisotropy Kxcexc) of the Co-based magnetic alloy layer.
The aforementioned circumferential texturing is thus effective for improving wear resistance and read/write characteristics of thin-film magnetic recording media; however, the benefits of texturing vary greatly upon the microscopic contours of the texture surface. Specifically, in order to form a medium having uniform magnetic characteristics, the microscopic contours of the texture surface must be made uniform.
Sub-micron flyability (e.g.,  less than 0.5 xcexc inch) of the recording transducer or head over a patterned media surface and enhanced media anisotropy thus are basic and essential requirements for obtainment of very high areal density recording media. However, attempts to achieve the requisite surface topography (e.g., substantially uniform texture patterns of desired contour or depth) on glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic composite substrates utilizing conventional slurry-based abrasive polishing techniques have been unsuccessful due to their extreme hardness (e.g., glass substrates have a Knoop hardness greater than about 760 kg/mm2 compared with 550 kg/mm2 for Al alloy substrates with NiP plating layers). In addition, the low flowability and extreme hardness of these substrate materials effectively preclude formation of texture patterns in the surfaces thereof by injection molding or stamping, as is possible with polymer-based substrates.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for improved methodology for providing substrates for magnetic recording media, e.g., disk-shaped substrates, constituted of very hard, high modulus materials, with at least one surface thereof having requisite topography for enabling operation with flying head read/write transducers/heads operating at very low flying heights and with a texture provided therein for enhancing media anisotropy, e.g., by mechanical texturing. More specifically, there exists a need for an improved methodology for texturing, i.e., unidirectional mechanical texturing, of a surface of a substrate for a magnetic recording medium, comprised of a glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic composite material, for reducing head-disk stiction/friction and for enhancing media anisotropy. In addition, there exists a need for an improved, high areal density magnetic recording medium including a high hardness, high modulus substrate having a textured surface for enhanced media anisotropy, e.g., a mechanically textured surface.
The present invention addresses and solves problems and difficulties attendant upon the use of very hard, high modulus materials, e.g., glasses, ceramics, and glass-ceramics, as substrate materials in the manufacture of very high areal density magnetic recording media, while maintaining full capability with substantially all aspects of conventional automated manufacturing technology for the fabrication of thin-film magnetic media. Further, the methodology and means afforded by the present invention enjoy diverse utility in the manufacture of various other devices and media requiring formation of mechanically textured surfaces on high hardness materials.
An advantage of the present invention is an improved method of texturing a surface of a very hard, high modulus material for use as a substrate in the manufacture of thin film magnetic recording media.
Another advantage of the present invention is an improved method of mechanically texturing a surface of a high modulus substrate material for enhancing anisotropy of at least one magnetic layer formed thereover as part of a process for manufacturing high areal density magnetic recording media.
Still another advantage of the present invention is an improved method of mechanically texturing and embossing a servo pattern in a surface of a high modulus substrate material for use in magnetic recording media manufacture.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is an improved, high areal density magnetic recording media comprising a hard surfaced, high modulus, non-magnetic, non-metallic substrate.
Additional advantages and other aspects and features of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from the practice of the present invention. The advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the foregoing and other advantages are obtained in part by a method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, comprising the sequential steps of:
(a) providing a non-magnetic substrate for a magnetic recording medium, the substrate including at least one major surface;
(b) forming a layer of a sol-gel on the at least one major surface of the substrate, the layer of said sol-gel including at least one solvent therein;
(c) removing a portion of the at least one solvent from the layer of the sol-gel to form a partially dried sol-gel layer, the partially dried sol-gel layer having an exposed surface with a hardness less than that of the at least one major surface of the substrate; and
(d) providing the exposed surface of the partially dried sol-gel layer with texturing for enhancing anisotropy of at least one magnetic layer subsequently formed thereover.
According to embodiments of the present invention, step (a) comprises providing a disk-shaped, very hard, high modulus substrate having a pair of opposed major surfaces, the substrate being comprised of a glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic composite material; step (b) comprises forming the layer of the sol-gel as a porous layer with the pores thereof saturated with the at least one solvent, e.g., by spin coating a solution of the sol-gel on the at least one major surface of the substrate; step (c) comprises partially drying the layer of the sol-gel at room temperature and atmospheric pressure for an interval sufficient to remove the portion of the solvent therefrom, i.e., for from about 12 to about 24 hours; and step (d) comprises mechanically texturing the exposed surface of the partially dried sol-gel layer, as by utilizing a slurry of abrasive particles dispensed on an absorbent and compliant polishing pad or tape, e.g., unidirectionally mechanically texturing the exposed surface of the partially dried sol-gel layer utilizing a slurry containing abrasive particles having a size of from about 0.1 to about 1 xcexcm.
According to further embodiments of the present invention, the method comprises the further step of:
(e) sintering the partially dried sol-gel layer at an elevated temperature for a sufficient interval to form a substantially completely dried layer having an exposed surface with a density and hardness similar to that of glass, in which instance step (d) comprises providing the exposed surface of the partially dried sol-gel layer with texturing of a depth sufficient to compensate for partial loss of texture depth during subsequent step (e).
In accordance with still further embodiments of the present invention, step (b) further includes embossing a servo pattern in the exposed surface of the as-deposited sol-gel layer; and the method comprises the still further step (f) of forming a stack of thin film layers over the exposed surface of the substantially completely dried layer formed in step (e), the stack of layers including at least one ferromagnetic layer.
Another aspect of the present invention is a magnetic recording medium, comprising:
(a) a non-magnetic substrate having at least one major surface;
(b) a sol-gel-based or derived SiO2-containing layer formed on the at least one major surface of said substrate, the SiO2-containing layer including an upper surface having a unidirectionally oriented, mechanically textured pattern formed therein for enhancing anisotropy of at least one magnetic layer formed thereover; and
(c) a stack of thin film layers formed over the upper surface of the sol-gel-based or derived SiO2-containing layer, the stack of layers including at least one ferromagnetic layer.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the non-magnetic substrate (a) is disk-shaped with a pair of major surfaces, the substrate is comprised of a high modulus material selected from glasses, ceramics, and glass-ceramic composite materials; and the sol-gel-based or derived SiO2 layer (b) is a partially dried sol-gel layer or a substantially fully dried, sintered layer having a density and hardness similar to that of glass.
In accordance with further embodiments of the present invention, the upper surface of the sol-gel-based or derived layer (b) additionally includes an embossed servo pattern; and the mechanically textured pattern comprises undulations varying from about xe2x88x929 nm to about +18 nm.
Still another aspect of the present invention is a magnetic recording medium, comprising:
(a) a non-magnetic substrate having at least one surface, the non-magnetic substrate comprised of a high modulus material selected from glasses, ceramics, and glass-ceramics materials; and
(b) sol-gel-based or derived means for enhancing anisotropy of at least one magnetic layer formed thereover.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the sol-gel-based or derived means comprises a partially dried or a sintered, substantially fully dried sol-gel layer.
Additional advantages and aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein embodiments of the present invention are shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated for practicing the present invention. As will be described, the present invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are susceptible of modification in various obvious respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as limitative.